LETSHUOER S12 Planar IEM

General Information

LetShuoer S12

S12 is Hi-Fi Earphones to creat for music lovers. Whatever its neat and fashion design or its sound effect is strictly polished. It will be your best companion for daily music hours.

Featured:
Custom 14.8mm Planar Driver
Silver plated monocrystalline copper cable


Description
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Specifications

ModelS12
DriversLETSHUOER Custom 14.8mm planar
Frequency Response20Hz – 20KHz
Distortion
Cable
Connector3.5mm single ended and 4.4mm balanced jack
Plug0.78mm dual pin
Case MaterialALUMINIUM ALLOY

Additional information
Cable Termination options:
3.5mm, 4.4mm

Choose color
Frosted Silver, Nebula Grey,


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Latest reviews

avishifi

100+ Head-Fier
Letshuoer S12 – The Result of Matured Technology
Pros: Competitive price, even today, especially during sale periods
Excellent technical capabilities
Metal construction
High-quality cable
Compact carrying case
Enjoyable and detailed treble
Cons: May be too bright for some listeners
Instruments like guitars and pianos do not receive the attention they deserve
Sub-bass may feel insufficient
In the last two years, many headphones with magnetic planar drivers have begun to emerge, and recently we have also seen them penetrate the TWS headphone market, such as the Galaxy Buds 3 Pro. Today, we are reviewing the Letshuoer S12 headphones, which feature a single magnetic planar driver that created a stir in the audiophile community when they were released. So, what can the technology of the magnetic planar driver offer us?

Disclaimer
The headphones were purchased with my personal funds, and all my opinions regarding the headphones are personal and based on my individual experience with their use. This review is translated review that I wrote in Hebrew for AudioKnights website, if you prefer, you can read the original review here.

What’s in the Box?
Letshuoer did not skimp on the accessories they included in the box, which consist of: 2 types of silicone ear tips in 3 sizes, in addition to memory foam ear tips in 3 sizes, a carrying case, and a high-quality 2PIN 0.78mm cable.

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The carrying case is very compact and convenient for transport; it is small enough to fit in a pocket while still being an excellent size for storing the headphones. Inside, there is also a small pocket where you can place silicone ear tips for emergencies or store your dongle (if it's not too large, of course). It is made of a faux leather material and feels very high quality and pleasant to the touch.

The headphone cable I chose has a 3.5mm output, but it is also available with a 4.4mm output if you prefer. The cable is relatively thick and feels very high quality, among the best I’ve tried so far, especially considering the price of the headphones. It is a bit difficult to connect the cable to the headphones the first few times; you need to apply a bit of force, but once the cable is securely connected to the headphones, the connection feels very stable and strong, giving a sense of security that the headphones won't easily come loose. There is also a plastic ring at the split area of the cable for the left and right earphones, which helps to create a less "loose" feeling when wearing the headphones. The ring does its job well and doesn’t slide down; it stays stable and secure.

I have one complaint about the cable: there is a lack of markings in the area connecting to the left and right headphones. It's unclear which side of the cable belongs to the right earphone and which side belongs to the left, although there is a red color on one of them. It would have been helpful if there was also a red mark on one of the earphones for indication, but there isn't.

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The selection of silicone ear tips is also excellent. We receive 2 types of tips, with one type being black-and-white and feeling softer, while the other type is all black and feels slightly firmer. With both types of silicone ear tips, I was able to achieve a good seal in the ear, and I didn't notice a significant difference in the sound produced by the headphones, so it's really a matter of preference and comfort. Additionally, the box contains memory foam ear tips, and unlike many headphones that come with only one size of memory foam tips decided by the manufacturer, here we get 3 different sizes, which is very welcome. Personally, I’m not a big fan of them, but if you are – they are included.




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The structure of the headphones is made of metal, and their size is not particularly large. Despite the metal construction, the headphones are lightweight and hardly noticeable when worn. The nozzle of the earphones is relatively short and does not go deep into the ear, but the ear tips are long enough to provide a good seal. I was able to wear the headphones for an extended period without feeling any discomfort, and overall, I would say they are very comfortable to wear.

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In terms of sound

Sub-bass
The sub-bass of the headphones feels natural and clean, much like it would sound if I were listening to the song live. However, it feels a bit too fast. There's a lack of the subwoofer feeling that I would have liked to hear in some of the songs in my library, as it adds a bit more enjoyment to the bass, and sometimes this can be disappointing and feels lacking.

Mid-bass
In contrast to the sub-bass, the mid-bass feels more present. When there's a kick, you really feel it strongly and prominently, in a very satisfying and precise manner, and it sounds clean without bleeding into the other frequencies. Overall, it’s done very well.

Midrange
The headphones manage to provide a good presence for instruments and vocals. The vocals are front and center, and the instruments blend nicely without clashing with the vocals, giving a very satisfying and enjoyable listening experience. Instruments and vocals, in particular, feel quite close to what I would hear in reality.
However, when I listened to songs that incorporate guitars, I expected to hear more of the strumming and acoustic nuances that guitars bring, which could enhance the overall character of the sound. The "acoustic" feeling seems to be lacking for my taste, and this affects the overall listening experience.
With instruments like the piano, I would like to feel more of the key presses; the headphones make them sound a bit too bright, which detracts from the overall experience. It's not bad, but there is room for improvement.
On the other hand, with instruments like the violin, they managed to deliver very impressive performances. I really enjoyed the violin; it felt very natural with high and precise resolution, and songs that incorporate violins sounded very satisfying and enjoyable.
Overall, I really liked the capabilities of the S12 in the midrange frequencies. However, I would prefer the sounds to feel a bit less cold, as this can affect the listening experience in songs featuring the instruments I mentioned.

Treble
Treble is where the S12 excels. Some reviewers might say it is exaggerated, too bright, and fatiguing, and I can understand those claims, but I don’t necessarily agree with them. The treble is crafted very well and accurately, and the sense of sound is high and impressive. The high frequencies sound great and are positioned front and center, and high-pitched instruments do not blend with the vocals, providing a very enjoyable listening experience.
In electronic songs, which contain many high elements, the headphones particularly shine. It's true that in most cases, you might prefer to listen to songs from this genre on headphones focused on bass, but I must admit that I was very surprised by how the S12 managed to play electronic tracks. So many small nuances began to emerge, and everything was precise and exactly as needed; the treble blends well with the bass and creates a very enjoyable and satisfying sensation.
I can’t express in words how amazing the songs by Snails House sounded, for example. His tracks contain many small electronic elements that, when combined, create an interesting and diverse composition. The level of detail was high and precise, and I couldn't stop listening. I’m surprised every time that it's just one driver doing all this; I have no words.
Overall, treble is where the S12 definitely excelled; they managed to produce quality and precise treble, and if you're someone who loves treble, I have no doubt you'll love the S12.

Technical Capabilities
The technical capabilities of the S12 are nothing short of excellent. The separation between instruments is done well; you feel that there is a relatively spacious movement, and the instruments are not centered but spread out. Their imaging capabilities are also very impressive; it’s very easy to pinpoint where the instruments stand and are located within the soundstage, and the instruments have a clear body and feel precise and realistic. Again, the S12 excels here.


In Summary

The S12 has definitely impressed me positively. Yes, they may not have impressive bass capabilities and can feel a bit too bright, but overall, it's a matter of preference. The technical capabilities are very good, the treble performance is quite impressive, and the overall listening experience feels very accurate, similar to what you would hear in reality. They do not require much power to reach a satisfactory volume level; my apple dongle was sufficient to achieve a high volume with them. And if you're open to using an equalizer, I’m pleased to say that they respond well to adjustments, allowing you to emphasize the bass frequencies if you wish. Additionally, they are lightweight and comfortable to wear, and I find their external appearance very attractive.

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The price of the IEM is approximately $100 at the official Letshuoer store on AliExpress as of the date of this review. They are available for purchase at the following link (no affiliate marketing involved), and if you wait for sales you can get them for much less, making them very competitive even today.

Ichos

Reviewer at hxosplus
Do it like a pro (LETSHUOER S12 PRO)
Pros: + Balanced and musical sound signature
+ Great technicalities for the price
+ Good sub-bass extension
+ Punchy and dynamic bass
+ Very engaging and colorful mid-range
+ Sparkling but relatively smooth treble
+ Open and airy soundstage
+ Lightweight, discreet and comfortable
+ High quality modular cable with swappable plugs
+ Plenty of ear-tips
+ Nice carrying case
+ Excellent build quality
Cons: - Bass can sound a little hollow
- Treble is not that resolving and refined
- Slightly metallic treble timbre
- Soundstage is lacking in depth layering
- The cable is thick and heavy
The review sample was kindly provided free of charge in exchange for an honest review.
I didn't receive monetary or any other kind of compensation and I don't use affiliate links.
The regular price of the S12 PRO is $169 but you can find it as low as $135.20.
You can order yours from the LETSHUOER online shop.

LETSHUOER S12 PRO

LETSHUOER is a China based company run by expert audio engineers and keen audiophiles that makes custom and universal in-ear monitors while they have recently expanded their line of products to include a mini-sized USB DAC dongle.

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The S12 PRO is the company’s 6th Anniversary Deluxe Edition of the original S12 that was a big success and made LETSHUOER wider known to the audiophile world.
The PRO edition comes with an upgraded custom 14.8mm planar magnetic driver which has a 102db high sensitivity that means that it can be easily driven by a cell phone or dongle DACs.
The chassis design is a continuation of the predecessor.
Multiple vent holes on both sides are effective in alleviating negative pressure build up within the ear canal and thus protecting your hearing.
The independent rear acoustic chamber design makes channel matching to be more consistent. In terms of sound performance, the structural design of the front and rear acoustic chamber effectively discharges the pressure inside the chassis, thereby attaining a more natural sound.
Furthermore a new nozzle filter was used to achieve a minor tuning update.

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Cable

The stock cable of LETSHUOER S12 PRO is constructed with silver-plated monocrystalline copper and 4x98-strands cores that are weaved together.
It is terminated with standard 0.78mm dual pin connectors while the other end has a swappable jack with 2.5mm, 3.5mm and 4.4mm plugs.
The metallic plugs get attached to the cable with a push and click action which is not as secure and durable as the screw system.
The cable is of good quality with low microphonic noise and it doesn't get easily tangled but it is too thick and heavy.

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Accessories

The package includes standard, transparent and memory foam ear tips at three sizes each and a faux-leather carrying case of good quality.

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Build quality and fit

The S12 PRO has a minimalistic industrial appearance with a smooth space-blue finish and excellent workmanship.
The compact, aluminum made earshells are lightweight and anatomically shaped so they can fit comfortably and tight offering a relaxed wearing experience with good passive noise attenuation.

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Associated gear

The S12 PRO was left playing music for about 100 hours in order to break in.
Various sources were used like the iBasso DC03 Pro, iFi Go bar, Questyle M15, Shanling M0 Pro, and FiiO M11S among others.
The earphones are easy to drive so you are not going to need a very powerful source but make sure to use something decent because the S12 PRO scales pretty well.

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Listening impressions

The overall tuning is balanced and natural with good sub-bass extension, an even mid-range and a well extended but not fatiguing treble.
The S12 is a slightly warm and very enjoyable set of earphones that balances its sound signature between sounding reference and musical while retaining good levels of transparency and technicalities.

The well extended bass has a near neutral tuning without over emphasizing the mid-bass so it doesn't cloud the rest of frequencies and leaves plenty of free space for the mids to shine.
Clarity, layering and definition are above average while the bass is tight, fast and controlled with good timing.
It is well contrasted and dynamic, impactful and weighty but it can sound a little hollow and a touch dry.
With a near reference tuning and a good suit of technicalities, the bass is one of the S12 PRO strongest points.

Equally strong is the mid range which is very well tuned with great coherency and a touch of a tasty upper-mids emphasis that adds some flavor without leading into sibilance and excessive projection.
There is plenty of harmonic wealth and realism, the timbre is natural and colorful with great chromatic variety, you can hear the uniqueness of every singer's voice and single instrument.
The S12 PRO is resolving, crystal clear and transparent in the mid-range with a natural voicing that is combined with the already excellent bass performance to make for an immersive and realistic listening experience perfectly suitable for classical music and not only.

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The treble on the S12 PRO is well extended and clear with good detail retrieval that doesn't resort into becoming analytical.
There is plenty of energy here and a touch of brilliance but only as much as is needed for giving a shining and luminous character to the sound never crossing the point to harshness and stridency.
You can listen for hours on without feeling listening fatigue even with poorly recorded or already bright material.
What happens though is that the timbre is just a touch metallic and artificial while the S12 PRO is not that resolving and refined in the treble as in the mid range.

The soundstage is wide and spacious with good positioning accuracy but it is mostly expanded in the horizontal axis without any significant depth layering and holographic relief.
Nonetheless it manages to stay free of congestion with plenty of air around the performers even during the most demanding symphonic and choral works.

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Compared to the TinHifi P1 MAX (From $129 to $99)

The P1 MAX from TinHifi is another example of a budget friendly earphone with a planar magnetic driver that has an admittedly great audio performance for the price.
The original price is $129 but you can find it as low as $99 so it is considerably cheaper than the S12 PRO but it comes with a simple detachable cable without modular plugs and with a plain pouch instead of a carrying case.
The resin ear-shells are anatomically shaped and lightweight but considerably bulkier than that of the S12 PRO.

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The P1 MAX is considerably smoother tuned and subdued from the upper-midrange to the treble so it sounds more inoffensive and forgiving than the S12 PRO.
The sub-bass on the P1 MAX rolls a little earlier while the bass is leaner and drier sounding but with a touch of extra control and clarity compared to the S12 PRO which is fuller and weightier but more hollow and looser.
The S12 PRO has the upper hand when it comes to dynamic contrast and bass impact while soundstage is a draw, the P1 MAX is somewhat narrower and less open but it has a sharper imaging and more accurate positioning.
Two great earphones to get you into the planar magnetic sound without spending a fortune.

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In the end

The S12 PRO is a great step into the planar magnetic sound at a very reasonable price.
It has a balanced, reference type tuning with plenty of musicality and good technicalities while it is lightweight, comfortable and it comes with a modular cable and a carrying case.

Test playlist

Copyright - Petros Laskis 2023.
Last edited:
Ichos
Ichos
In this regard, the S12 PRO is not bad for the application, frequency response, bass and separation are good for the category. I am not sure though if you are going to be happy with the isolation. I think that an IEM with semi-custom, resin ear-shells would be better.
MartyPorkSoda
MartyPorkSoda
Understood, what would be your alternative recommendation please? Thanks
Ichos
Ichos
Kiwi Ears Orchestra light and Penon Vortex for more neutral tuning, ISN EST50 and NEO5 for more bass. Hiby Crystal 6 II is also good option for balanced tuning.

Dsnuts

Headphoneus Supremus
LetShuoer S12 Pro
Pros: Solid comfortable CNC machined aluminum alloy housing
Smaller side of medium in shell size will fit most
Good variety of accessories including
modular silver plated monocrystalline copper cable
Modern detailed focused V shaped tuning
Highly technical with very good imaging
Tight, clean detailed sound.
Easy to drive but sounds better with some power
Speedy tight sound signature
Cons: Intimate stage
Not the best for vocal lovers
Treble can get a touch spicy
A bit more analytical in presentation than musical
Not the best timbre for purists.
LETSUOER S12Pro
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Planar IEMs seem to be what's hot nowadays. With just about every manufacturer using a type of planar magnetic driver for IEMs. For LETSHUOER, the planar IEM is not new but it is always a good sign for a manufacturer to reevaluate a design and improve a release for their audience.

The planar craze is in full swing and for a good reason. It seems Planar based IEMs are here to stay. What is interesting about Planar tech is that it is not relegated for the uber rich. You can get planar IEMs fairly cheaper nowadays. The technology was readily used for headphones for years but the planar IEM as of now has become very popular among enthusiasts.
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Planar IEMs seem to have a level of detail that is uncommon at their price points. I equate Planar ability and its sound to be somewhere in between the well established balanced armatures and a traditional highly resolving dynamic driver. It has the imaging and transient qualities of today's top Balance Armatures but has the cohesion and timbre more closer to that of a highly resolving dynamic driver. When balanced and tuned correctly you get a remarkable highly resolving detailed sound from a Planar IEM.

The S12 and the S12 pro have already been established as one of the better planar IEMs in the market. I have seen numerous praises of its sound ability and it was only a matter of time I got my nitty gritty hands and ears on them.
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With that I would like to thank Nuria of Letshuoer. The S12pros was provided for the purpose of a review, they have been burned in for a period of a week's time and are now ready for evaluation using my sources Fiio K9 pro ESS, IBasso DX300Max, Fiio M15, Fiio BTR7, Shanling M6 pro, IFI Gryphon, IFI Signature. You can get a set for you on their home sales pages here.
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So what are the differences between the S12 and the S12 pro model?
I asked about the changes from the prior S12 model vs the Pro model and this was what I got as a response. “ S12 pro got a new color, new cable, nozzle filter for minor tuning change. But basically they are very similar.”

What is important here is that they got a new nozzle filter change and a more transparent cable pairing. As I understand it, thicker material for the nozzle creates a minor lowering for the upper mids and treble region of the sound tuning. Minor as in give or take 2-3 dbs of change. So it seems the Pro model has a better balancing vs their prior S12. This is just a guess on my part but I am going to assume the newer pro version is what Letshuoer is pushing nowadays.
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What you get/build
The S12 pro comes in an all-aluminum CNC machined medium sized universal housing in 2 pin configurations. Now with a new metallic blue color. It is housing a large 14.8mm planar diaphragm. The newer pro version seems to have an upgraded cable to go along with it being a silver-plated monocrystalline copper cable that comes with modular plugs in every termination you could use for your sources. They get two sets of silicone tips, one set is standard, and one set called transparent, 3 pairs of foams. Lastly comes with an oval shaped faux leather zip up case.
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I am familiar with aluminum alloy builds as really there are 4 types of housings in the industry. All Resin, plastic and the metal housings or a combination of these. The metal housing, which has the benefit of being physically stronger, are mass produced and stamped out for retail applications and can house all manner of drivers. The shape is a bit triangularish but ergonomic and will fit most ears just fine. The only issue with its design is that it has a relatively shorter nozzle that will not be perfect for all ears shapes and sizes. Due to its smaller side of medium in size it will be comfortable but I have a feeling larger ears will have some difficulty fitting deep due to the shorter nozzle size, so tip rolling is a must. Otherwise its build is what you would expect at the price point. As long as they stay dry they should last the test of time without any issue. 2 pin design goes without saying, seems to be an ever increasing number of 2 pin designs vs the mmcx for IEMs nowadays.
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Its included cable is nice and certainly of good quality however I am not so certain this would have been the best cable choice for the S12 pros sound signature. I do cable reviews so I have a good insight into what type of cables matches up with certain types of sound signatures. It's not that their monocrystalline silver plated cable is of a bad quality, on the contrary it is a very nice included cable and even better with modularity. However the S12 pro is a highly detailed v shaped tuning meaning it has more upper mids and treble and bass vs the mid presence in its signature. Just by the nature of its tuning and resolution it will be slightly brighter in tonal character.
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Then Letshuoer throws in a more resolving cable on top of a nicely resolving tuning on a resolving planar driver. Best synergy with cable matchups you gotta go the opposite vs what the tuning is. A brighter highly detailed signature means these need a nice pure copper cable to counter what all that detail is doing. That's just my take on it but believe me Letshuoer is not the only manufacturer that is guilty of this. I have reviewed numerous IEMs from a lot of different manufacturers and sometimes your most resolving cable is not actually optimizing the sound of your IEMs. It enhances a sound tuning but if the tuning and tech involved is already that resolving. How about adding a bit of warmth and adding some note weight using thicker copper cores for the cable to add some musicality, some added fullness to mids and bass vs highlighting the technicalities and enhancing upper mids and treble aspects of the tuning.

In using a newer nozzle filter that is what Letshuoer is doing to create a newer “pro” version by lowering these aspects for better balance but then you throw on a more resolving silver plated monocrystalline copper cable? You see what I am getting at? I suppose you have to be really into your cable pair ups to fully understand what I am talking about. Bright +more resolving cable = Brighter.

What they should have done is Bright+ warm copper note weight enhancing cable = synergy.
The reason why I bring this up is due to my testing with the S12 pro using a myriad of other cables and it is a pure copper cable these IEMs needs not so much what was included. My review here is of course based on what was included. Just know these have way better potential than what Letshuoer is showing you out of the box.
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Technicals.
S12 pro is a highly technical resolving set. While the tuning is v in shape it has a detail aspect to its tuning that clearly takes advantage of the ability of the transducer it is using. Planars are known for their detail, quick transients with a snappy decay of notes. This is the case for the S12 pro. I noticed the S12 pro has some extra treble tuning and while it is balanced fairly well the treble extension of the S12 pro means you get a full treble end with not much roll off.
Imaging, sound separation and details are especially a stand out for the S12 pro. But what I found a bit lacking here for such a highly technical sound was the one aspect that prevents the S12 pro from becoming big time. That is its moderate sound staging. Its stage is more in your head than actually projecting outside of it. It has a moderate amount of depth for sound as well. Add in a bit of a thinner mids note weight and you get all the highly detailed and technical aspects that stand out but a bit short when it comes to the overall presentation of the sound.
Its timbre is debatable but is not exactly ideal as its decay of instruments and vocals is almost too quick. Making music sometimes sound a bit dry and not exactly realistic at the same time. However the detail aspects are a stand out for the S12 pro that is really not too common for IEMs at this price range. If you're a detail freak I can understand why you would want to look into an IEM like the S12 pro.
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Trebles
The trebles are represented well in all 3 parts of its treble presentation and seem to be the focus of the S12 pro tuning. Trebles have a fairly longer shelf from about 5Khz-8Khz which brings a lot of treble presence to your tracks. This is the reason why the S12 pro sounds so detailed. Its extended treble response is some of the better I have heard but at the same time if you are listening to tracks with a lot of synthetic treble notes, EDM and hip hop and the like. You will hear them treble notes with full strength of the treble accents that accompany this type of music. I would have liked to see the treble tuning here just a bit lowered and we are talking about 2 dbs and that would have balanced out the treble presence for better versatility.

However if you're listening to a lot of acoustic and orchestral scores that is where this particular treble tuning benefits as you will hear all the little details from the trebles that you want to hear. So I suppose it will be more genre and music preference that will sway you one way or the other how you hear the S12 pro. The S12 pro in return sounds a bit analytical at times with a bit of brightness edge to the overall presentations due to the ample trebles. Trebles is well represented and is as extended as you want to actually get for your IEM use. Trebles for the most part are clean, crisp and very snappy transient qualities presenting a very detail oriented design for the S12 pro.
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Mids
Takes a step back in the balancing of the S12 pro but it is more neutral lower mids vs being anything overly recessed. It has plenty of upper mids emphasis for good clarity. I would have liked to see just a smidge less upper mids on the S12 pro and as I understand it the prior S12 actually had a bit more so. Those would have clearly tipped this sound to be more analytical leaning and brighter. As they are, the S12 pro has good balancing to its sound performance for a V tuned IEM. Another aspect I appreciate about the S12 pro is that since it is using a single driver for its sound, it does not have any issues with cohesion. A seamless sound is something designers have to contend with for hybrids and tribrids that vary with how well they are cohesive.

While the general note weight for the mids presentation is leaning more neutral in all things presence and forwardness, the main reason why I suggest folks try your favorite copper based cables is that it does add a better fullness for the mid bands the stock cable does not do. In testing out a bunch of my own cables I continuously notice better thicker note weight using other cables. Vocals especially you will hear a benefit from switching out cables. As they are, music sounds a bit on the thin. If you're a mid lover and need a forward full mid range the S12 pro does not exactly have a mid forward sound. Its tonal character is a touch bright due to ample upper mids and lower treble. Its speedy transient quality applies to the mids bands and this will be the greatest part of contention among purists.
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S12 pros certainly sound like a higher end IEM or one's idea of a higher end IEM but if you're really looking for realism, especially timbre with a proper note decay and a richer tonal character. S12 pro has the detail aspect down pat if not bringing a chiseled detailed aspect to its sound but is not exactly realistic. Some call it the planar timbre. I don’t associate its timbre aspects to be supreme but they certainly are not bad at the same time.

Overall the mids imaging, its detail and instrument separation aspects are all stand outs and while it lacks a certain emotive quality for the vocals and instruments it makes up for it with a nuanced ghost like detail at times that clearly shows how resolving the sound is. This one is more or less for detail freaks. You like your highly resolving sound these will deliver in spades but it does lack a roundness and fullness to the notes you are hearing.
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Bass
Bass of the S12 pro is somewhat of an acquired taste. It certainly balances out the sound of the S12pro and again that cohesion with a good decent bass punch certainly helps the cause for the S12 to be more versatile than most highly detailed IEMS. Bass is more moderate and shows good focus for its sound balancing. I would say bass is fairly tight and has decent definition overall with almost a BA like speed but it is that planar transient qualities that prove to be not as realistic as a well vented dynamic when it comes to bass. Speed folks would love planar bass but at the same time. Sub bass lacks a realistic texture but given that this large planar is handling all parts of the sound at once it's certainly not a bad bass presentation. Bass is roughly even with the treble presence and it's got a good range for bass notes and variations of the low notes. Bass does a great job supporting the mids and trebles of the S12 pro but it's certainly not a featured aspect for the S12 pro tuning. To be fair the bass end is tuned well and has decent reach in the sub bass. It's got a touch more sub bass presence vs its mid bass and overall It is more of a complimentary type of bass. Where it lacks a realism for the bass due to the given properties of planar tech for IEMs it makes up for n sheer speed and a tighter decay of notes that ends up making the bass notes clean and a bit more precise sounding.
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This is yet another aspect where cable experimentation will help out for bass using a good copper based cable. Bass sounds much more alive with a copper based cable vs what was included. Again the stock cable seems to lean more on details and transparency which also has the effect of leaning out the notes a touch in the process. You probably already own a decent set of 2 pin copper cables from your other IEMs; don't be afraid to give those a try on the S12 pro. It just might surprise you. In my testing, the tuning and the resolve of the S12 pro is very detailed from the get go so sacrificing a bit of that by introducing a copper based cable actually synergizes better with the S12 pro sound profile. You're tilting the cable influence from its trebles and upper mids to bass and its lower mids. Which ultimately balances out the sound better adding greater note weight vs the ultimate detail aspects of its included cable.

If you want to keep that detail aspect of the S12 pro. Try a thicker 8 cored SPC or silver plated copper cable instead. Which will keep all the details of the S12 pro but also add that copper fullness musical element to its tuning better than the stock cable.
This is all subjective of course. If you feel the S12 pro sound presentation is ideal for you out of the box then that my friend is up to you.
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In the end
The S12 pro has been a nice surprise for me. This being my very first IEM I have reviewed from Letshuoer. I can understand why there is a following for the S12 and the pro model. It has a solid all metal build with a very easy to use shape. Includes a nice cable with modularity albeit in my opinion is the wrong match up with its sound profile but a high quality cable nonetheless.
Its tuning caters to enthusiasts as it seems to be tuned to focus a bit more on its trebles which is more difficult to do than mids or bass. The clean tonal character helps with just how detailed and precise the presentation can get and while it leans more towards an analytical edge for its sound foundation it has just enough musicality with a good punchy bass presence that caps off a well tuned Planar IEM. For the asking price for a set, these are a good value and an excellent gateway to planar IEMs. Thanks for taking the time to read and if you already own the S12 pro or planning on getting a set. Don’t be afraid to try your other cables to pair up with them. I feel they can sound even better with the right cable matched up with its highly detailed sound signature. Happy listening always.
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Dsnuts
Dsnuts
Ya it is the pro. Decided to not start a new item for the S12. Pro version is the same with a new nozzle filter and cable. So not really too much different.
Bitsir
Dsnuts
Dsnuts
Nozzle filters generally dampens the upper mids, lower trebles a bit and in doing so will usually bring better balancing. But then Letshuoer added a cable that brightens the tonality. It is that saying one step forward and two steps back. From other reviews I have seen. Arkos especially mentions the older version being brighter vs the newer Pro. Wish I could have heard the older one. Either way I was told they are more similar than different from their rep.

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